The welcome day goes down to be the most important day of my
life which I will never ever forget and will talk about to my children. It
just speaks for itself. It’s not every day you get to celebrate your
20th birthday outside your country with people who really care about you and
appreciate you. I didn’t even expect such a surprise as I thought no
one knew that it was my birthday on that day. Frau Barbara Owen and her team
are the best and as I would say in my language “Ndiswele imilomo
eliwaka ukubulela” (I need thousands of mouths to thank you for
making me feel worthy). That really gave me an impression that I am really welcomed
and of how I will be treated throughout the program.
The “world” which I grew up from portrayed Germany
as a rough nation with aggressive inhabitants and as a result of that what I had in mind
was completely different with what I experienced here. The politeness,
humanity and warmth I got here made me wonder if there were two
different Germanys out there because the one I went to is nothing like the
one I heard about. Normally in my country I wouldn’t go out after
10 o’clock in the evening but here I did that everyday. Never did I ever encounter
any crime incident which indicated that people live in peace and harmony.
I always defined the world according to what South Africa had
to offer me of which was dangerous and completely wrong. It was interesting
to see how everything was so organized as if it is scientifically programmed.
What I observed about the people here is that they are very patient and
punctual people and the way they accept people to their country as their
own is just so amazing.
The Welcome Day!!!
a report written by Busisiwe Sindane
Its 19:30, 09-01-2009, and we are on the plane
from Dubai heading to Munich. All of us excited but nervous
at the same time, not knowing what to expect of the new world
that awaits us. We have all been warned about the harsh weather
of Germany around this time of the year, even all the travel
guides warn all those adventurous souls of the harsh conditions
of this cold, but beautiful country. I have come to learn that
being told about something, and actually experiencing it yourself,
are two totally different entities. On our arrival in Munich,
we were welcomed by a very kind and friendly man by the name
of Franz. He made us feel so at home that we even forgot that
we were in a different continent. But, what awaited us outside
was not so kind and friendly. Being used to the warm South African
weather was definitely a disadvantage…. It was piercing cold;
I swear I felt my blood freeze!!!! The last time I experienced
this type of weather was… NEVER!!! But because of all the excitement,
we quickly got over the cold and looked forward to spending
3 weeks in Tübingen!!!!
On our arrival to the university, the
'Dream Team' as I like to call them, namely: Barbara, Marion,
Iris and Thomas, welcomed us not only into their country, but
also into their hearts. They made us feel as though we were
back in SA, but the weather outside told a different story…We
were quickly escorted to our dorms, which were beautifully made
and ready for us to just jump into bed and go to sleep... Before
I came to Germany, I didn't realize that u don't have to have
cornflakes every morning for breakfast, rather have chocolate
cookies or cake along with your tea or coffee!!!! For this reason
only, I want to immigrate to Tübingen!!!!
We were then taken
on a guided tour through Tuebingen by Marion, where we saw all
the beautiful buildings. I didn't realize how mush history Germany
had until today. The history behind all the buildings and statues
was explained to us, I now realize that the history of this
country is more than just 'Hitler', but that the German's have
truly earned their place in history. After such an informative
day, The Dream Team took us out for dinner to a beautiful, cosy
restaurant were the food was o-soooo-good, I could eat forever!!!
Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, Liebe Barbara
took us to this room which was filled with all the clothes she
had collected for us so we don't freeze our butt's off!! This
place we have fondly come to know as 'Milan'…. All this was
just on the first day of the trip, I can't wait to find out
all the other things they have in store for us, I KNOW it's
going to be awesome!!!
I would like to use this platform to
thank all the sponsors that made this fantabulous trip a reality.
Thank you to the Dream team including Alex, but most importantly,
thank you to Barbara for this wonderful opportunity, u will
forever remain in our hearts…
Busisiwe Tshegofatso Sindane
